This is an old challenge now, this thread is archived. If you scroll down to the Challenge #17 section of the downloads page, you’ll see that the models can still be downloaded for your tests, and also that a gallery has been made of top entries. Feel free to browse this thread to see what others have posted, even though you can no longer post here.

Challenge #17 Deadline: Monday, January 5, 2009. This will be the final deadline for your work to appear in the gallery. Start early, this is a big scene! The sooner you post a work in progress, the sooner you can get feedback and improve your work.

The goal here is to bring this scene to life, adding convincing lighting and depth to the space. You can use whatever software or techniques you want to create an original, well-lit 3D rendering of this scene. You may add or subtract or change the models, create textures, arrange the shot as you please, or do whatever else you want to realize your vision of the scene.
PLEASE: When you post an image, also post what software you are using, your render times, and any special settings or techniques you are using. For example, if you rendered the scene in different layers and composited, if you used occlusion or raytracing or global illumination, settings like this are interesting to other people doing the challenge!

This scene was modeled by Alvaro Luna Bautista (who did all the architecture and displays and everything except the dinosaurs), and Joel Andersdon (who made the dinosaur skeletons.) Please credit Alvaro Luna Bautista and Joel Andersdon for their modeling work if you use images of this scene on the web or in your portfolio or showreel.

Here is the link to download the files, and a few images of this huge, complex scene we have to work with!

Hello all… this look like another fun challenge … heres my start on it default shader only lighting for the moment (need to check normals and add some texturing for sure … ) but is a start … hope u like it :hmm:

I don’t know if anyone has already looked, but I searched “natural history museum” on pbase.com and found some great interior shots at different times of day. Could be good for lighting and texture reference.

Hey everyone! I came across this photograph while searching the internet for some reference images and guess what? It appears to be the same museum that our 3d model has been based on.

Quite right. This challenge idea started with when Joel Anderson (Joel3D) created the Dinosaur models. (I got the spelling Andersdon from his cgtalk profile and posts. His website joel3d.com uses the spelling Anderson, so I think that’s probably correct.) When he first posted the skeletons last year, I asked him if we could use them in a lighting challenge, and he said yes. If you check his website, he has them textured and rigged by now, too, but back when we talked he only had skeletons, so we needed a complete environment to create a challenge scene out of the dinosaur skeletons.

wow this should be a great challenge. been looking forward to one, but have been so busy. Will try and make time. Here’s a quick test, after cleaning up max file, and testing out some sun positions. Quick adjustments in photoshop.